The trade relationship between the United States and the European Union (EU) entered a new stage of tension after President Donald Trump threatened to impose tariffs of 10% — with the possibility of rising to 25% — on European countries that sent military personnel to Greenland. These nations demonstrated support for Danish sovereignty in the face of the American government’s declared interest in gaining control over Arctic territory.
According to a report by the Financial Times, the bloc is discussing a retaliation package that could reach 93 billion euros, either through the imposition of equivalent tariffs or by limiting the access of American companies to the common market. This set of measures would have initially been prepared the previous year, but remained suspended; with the deterioration of the diplomatic scenario, it returned to the agenda of European leaders meeting in emergency in Brussels.
The EU’s reaction comes at a time when Washington intensifies its strategic pressure on Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark considered crucial by the US both for its geopolitical position and its natural resources.
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The American offensive — which includes not ruling out the use of force, according to reported analyzes — caused strong irritation among European allies and triggered the sending of support troops to the island by countries such as France, Germany, the United Kingdom and Norway.
Brussels is also evaluating activating the so-called anti-coercion instrument, a tool that allows restricting or conditioning the actions of foreign companies when governments use practices considered coercive in commercial policy. Authorities see the mechanism as an alternative or complement to direct tariffs, reinforcing the bloc’s bargaining capacity in discussions scheduled to take place during the World Economic Forum in Davos.
The worsening of tariff tensions marks one of the most serious crises in the transatlantic relationship in decades. For the EU, the priority remains to prevent the trade clash from destroying strategic cooperation within NATO, but leaders already admit the need to respond firmly.
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European representatives reiterated, in several statements, that Greenland’s sovereignty is not up for negotiation and that the bloc will not accept unilateral pressure.
